Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance CyclingDo you enjoy centuries, double centuries, brevets, randonnees, and 24-hour time trials? Share ride reports, and exchange training, equipment, and nutrition information specific to long distance cycling. This isn't for tours, this is for endurance events cycling

I wasn't sure which forum would be most appropriate for this, but I figure the Brooks population (and mileage) here are higher than average.

I have a year-old B17 with maybe a thousand miles on it, exposure to all weather, and several Proofidings. It's nicely broken-in. Today it was creaking and driving me nuts. I can reproduce the creak by pushing straight down on the leather, but I'm not sure what to do about it. Any suggestions?

Might be the leather squeaking against the rear support. Smoosh a little bit of Proofhide/SnoSeal/Obenauf's LP up in there and see if that stops it.

Might be the rails creaking in the post clamp. The rails flex as the leather 'gives'; I'm not saying open the clamp and grease 'em up, but a single drop of 3-in-1 at the rear edge of the clamp where the rails come out may help.
This was the issue I had with mine, and I had a 2 part solution: 3-in-1 on the edge of those rails, and I punched/laced the skirts to reduce the overall saddle flex.

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"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.

HI,
I moved mine to far forward one time and the clamp was partially on the edge of a less than flat piece of the seat bracket this would cause a creak when peddling only with the left leg down stroke ..
Go figure on my cad it sounded like a creaking in the bottom bracket of the bike that long hollow alumn down tube tricked me into thinking I needed a new bearing ..
Till I leaned on the bike seat...
Doug

I have a 30-year-old Ideale leather saddle that creaks, too, but only after about 30 miles or so into the ride. It doesn't sound like a metal-on-metal sqeak - definitely a creak. I'd first look at the leather-metal contact points. I ignore my saddle's creak. It's no worse than my own creaks.

My brooks swift started creaking. I too thought it was BB bearings. I realized that it only creaked while slowing cranking up hills while seated. I realized that the creak only occured when I was on the rear of the saddle - no creak while sitting on the nose. I stopped and could recreate te creak by pushing down on the rear of the saddle with my palms and body weight. I was able to resolve the noise by oiling the interface between the rail and rear support thats riveted to the leather. Im a little worried that lubing that interface means that something broke there... I wouldnt expect relative movement at that interface.

my swallow (ti) creaks. i managed to stop it for a bit by loosening the tension and sliding a piece of stair tread rubber between the tension nut and the flat part it pushes on. managed to ride a 100k populaire with it quiet... but its started again.

i picked up some nylon washers from the hardware store - going to slice one and try to get it in the same spot as the rubber is (was?).

annoying, yes.
lube, grease, etc. did nothing for me...

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So long. Been nice knowing you BF.... to all the friends I've made here and in real life... its been great. But this place needs an enema.